Ben-Gurion University, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to collaborate

(JTA) — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are collaborating to develop pediatric-specific medical technologies.

The collaboration will address the lack of medical devices designed specifically for children and their unique physiological needs, the Beersheba university said.

Cincinnati Children’s is a leading pediatric hospital and research center, and one of the top two recipients of pediatric grants from the National Institutes of Health.

The development of pediatric devices is years behind the development of adult devices, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Children represent only 10 percent of the medical market, so there reportedly has been a history of insufficient funding and resources in the field of pediatric devices.

As part of the collaboration, the Ohio hospital’s physicians will provide details on medical device challenges and engineers at Ben-Gurion University will match development opportunities with technical solutions.

"This groundbreaking project will hopefully yield significant medical innovations that are commercially viable and leverage BGU’s world-class engineering capabilities," said Doron Krakow, executive vice president of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. "It is significant that a prestigious hospital like Cincinnati Children’s is working with BGU researchers to make a difference for children here in the U.S., in Israel and around the world."